What Should Have Been
by Avenging Neko
Summary: A rewrite of my old story What Could Have Been, this is what should have happened. (Blame Jubalii!) Seras Victoria hasn't been a vampire for long, only about a month, and she's not very comfortable in her Master's presence yet. Unfortunately, Sir Integra is dead, and Alucard is free to do as he pleases. It just so happens that 'as he pleases' involves taking her with him. Oh dear.
1. Chapter 1

_**What Should Have Been**_

 _ **Ketti:**_ Since JuJu is visiting me for the week, I'm finally writing stuff like she's been telling me to for forever. Admittedly, I've written more than you guys know about, but I'm not posting it because none of the new stories are finished and I feel bad never finishing them. Like the summary says, this is what should have happened in this story. Some of you might notice entire chapters missing. Hopefully you'll like the rewrite as much as I do. As I told JuJu on our walk to the swingset, think of this as the OVA version. All the chapters will be longer, except maybe one or two that were originally long in the first place, and truer to the 'original story', which in this case means what should have happened. There were be a lot less chapters, but each one will be longer. I think that's a fair trade off considering the mess WCHB became.

* * *

Seras Victoria stirred, a frown tugging her lips, her hand reaching out plaintively and finding nothing. A low whimper bubbled from her throat and her weight shifted to roll over, but a hand on her shoulders stopped her. Stilling instantly at the touch, she settled obediently back into her former position and drifted back into the void of darkness.

Faintly, she thought she heard a _'clickity clack'_ sort of sound, and her bed seemed to vibrate in time with the noise. But her brain just wouldn't wake enough for her to deal with these oddities and she turned her head to pillow her cheek on her arm.

Muffled voices sounded in her ears and she frowned, squinching up her face as she turned her head the other way. The voices persisted and she growled, flinging her free arm up to wrap around her head and cover her other ear. She just wanted to sleep, damnit. There was a pause, and then a low rumbling sound that reminded her suspiciously of her Master's laughter, before the voices continued in softer tones, and then something was lifting her.

Startled almost into waking fully, she squirmed, uncomfortable with the thought of being carried. A warning growl vibrated against her back and she went rigid in alarm, "Police Girl, stop your infernal squirming or I will drop you."

Struggling against the groggy haze that seemed to cover her body like a shroud, she forced her eyes open and stared up at her Sire from a disconcertingly close distance. _Oh god…_ Why was he holding her? Where were they? The questions ricocheted around in her head like super balls, banging into each other and wreaking utter havoc on her mind.

To be completely honest with herself, she was intimidated by the aloof man who had changed her into a vampire a few months ago; the only times he'd spoken to her were to berate her for not drinking the blood and impersonal commands during the few missions Sir Integra had sent them on. He never called her by name, either, and while not openly hostile… she was sure he didn't like her. But maybe that was all in her head? Confused, she lay stiffly in his arms as he carried her through what appeared to be a train.

"Where are we?" She asked, and as he tilted his head down to look at her, she saw herself reflected in his yellow glasses. A chill traveled up her spine, "Sir." She added hastily.

A fang filled smirk was her answer as he continued walking, his long legs eating up the distance easily. Wariness filled her and she glanced around again to confirm they were indeed in a train, "I can walk, you know." She muttered under her breath, and yelped as he dropped her and she landed painfully on her rump, her head banging the edge of an empty seat. "Owww…"

"Weakling." He spat the insult casually as he bent over at the waist to hook his fingers in the back of her shirt and haul her upright. Swaying slightly on her feet, feeling disoriented from the impact her skull made with the metal rim, she stumbled after him weakly.

 _My head hurts._

Gaining some of her balance back, she had to quick-step to keep up with him, and the thought struck her that this train was strangely empty. She was sure she heard voices earlier, though, so that was odd. A moment later they exited the train into a busy looking station and she felt unease roiling in the back of her mind.

"Master… I don't remember hearing about any missions..?" She asked tentatively, steps beginning to slow as she lagged farther and farther behind the red clad man, trying to gain her bearings.

"That's because there wasn't one, Police Girl." He answered coldly, turning to look at her over his shoulder.

 _What..? But, but…_ "Won't Sir Integra be angry that we left?" The blonde asked in a near whisper, stopping completely in her tracks. The woman may only be human, but she is damned scary.

He halted as well and turned fully to face her with an odd expression that raised the small hairs on the back of her neck, "Integra is dead, Police Girl."

Confusion slapped her in the face and she balked, at first unable to comprehend those few simple words. Then fear edged into the equation as her eyes flitted to his hands and noted with some horror his gloves were missing. With Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing dead, nothing restrained the ancient male vampire from doing what he pleased. She opened her mouth with the intent of barraging him with questions, when he slid his glasses down his nose and glowing red eyes pierced her very soul.

" _ **Don't question me, Police Girl."**_

His words resonated in her skull, and she felt weird, kinda… dizzy… Swaying on her feet, eyelids drooping, the blonde's facial features went slack and her right foot lifted to continue walking as his next words throbbed between her ears and behind her eyes like a drum; _**"Come here, Police Girl."**_

"Yes, Master."

She walked to him, and his right hand came down on her shoulder and pulled her flush to his side as he led them through the crowds to another train idling in the dark, waiting for passengers to board. Muffled voices and a myriad of smells tugged at her senses as they walked through the corridor until they reached a particular compartment and her Master slid the panel back, escorting her inside and setting her down on the bench seat opposite him.

"This is the third time I've had to quiet you on this journey, Police Girl. If it happens again I will be angry."

She stared at him blankly, her sluggish brain supplying her with half forgotten memories of … of … Losing the thought, she simply nodded and dropped limply to her side to lay across the bench and close her eyes.

* * *

Faintly, she thought she heard a _'clickity clack'_ sort of sound, and her bed seemed to vibrate in time with the noise. The word 'déjà vu' came to mind and her features scrunched up in distaste.

 _Nng…_

Squirming restlessly, she stilled as she felt a weight shift near her head and something warm settle atop her head.

Pet… Pet… Pet…

Purring, she leaned into the touch and felt more than heard the vibration of a deep chuckle as her head was moved and she found a new pillow. The pillow wasn't quite as soft as her upper arm, and felt a little rough, but the petting continued so she nestled her cheek into the cloth and drifted back into sleep quiescently.

"Good girl."

* * *

Seras' dreams were filled with blood and screams and she jerked awake with a choked cry. Shuddering violently and wrapping her arms around herself, the blonde blinked and canted her head to the side curiously. This…wasn't her room. She'd grown accustomed to the windowless basement dwelling and the sparse furnishings; it wasn't too different from her own time in orphanages and her spartan apartment… aside from the lack of windows, that is. But this… there were thick curtains drawn across the window and she lay upon a very plush king sized bed. "What?"

Vague recollections teased at her thoughts; something about… a train, and her Master. Leaving London? Rubbing her forehead as though to massage the memories into place, she felt her stomach tighten in hunger and her throat burn with thirst.

The thought of drinking the blood scared her. She didn't want to become a monster like the creatures that ravaged the village of Cheddar, like the FREAKS Sir Integra sent her to hunt, like … like her Master who was so blood crazed and inhuman.

"Now. now, Police Girl, it isn't nice to think such things about your Master." His voice cooed from the doorway and she jumped in guilty surprise. "M-Master…"

When he approached she flinched and he clucked his tongue in amused disappointment, "Are you _scared_ of me?" The prospect seemed to amuse him.

"N-No, of course not." She muttered, refusing to look at him as she stared off to his right and above his shoulders. "Where are we?" She asked abruptly, eager to change the subject.

"Paris, but we're not staying long."

A vague memory tickled her thoughts and she frowned, "Sir Integra is dead, isn't she?" It wasn't even really a question as she recalled his words from earlier on the train and further back of blood… the stench of decomposing flesh, the feeling of dead hands grasping at her flesh, pinning her to the floor, touching her… then nothing but red. Red, red red… Shuddering violently, the blonde wrapped her arms around her middle, "What happened?"

"A miscalculation. When the loud mouthed one reached the conference room he shot Integra in the chest before the other Round Table members put him down with blessed silver. You, little fledgling, were caught in a blood rage and rekilling the ghouls that used to be Hellsing troops." Her Sire looked down at his gloveless hands with a strange look upon his face, "The Hellsing line is dead, Police Girl, and nothing remains to bind me to the church or crown of England."

"What will you do now, Master?" She asked uncertainly, peeking up at him through her bangs.

"Whatever I please."

"Why am I here?" The question burned for an answer, lighting her ocean blue eyes with an urgent need to know.

"Because you are mine, Police Girl. My fledgling, my responsibility, and I will see you raised as a proper vampire outside the control of humans." There was a threat implicit in his words; _whether you like it or not_.

"If you say so, Master." Seras muttered, rolling off the bed and making her way to the bathroom. She might as well take advantage while she had the chance.

* * *

"Master?" The girl asked a while later, jean clad knees pulled to her t-shirted chest as she sat upon the hotel bed and stared out the window, while the elder vampire lounged beside her, reading a book in a language she didn't recognize.

"Yes, fledgling?" He murmured, flipping the page with a flick of his finger.

"I want to see the city."

He lay the book against his chest and looked at her over the rims of his glasses, dark brows arching into his hairline. "Not alone you won't, Police Girl."

Seras pursed her lips and exhaled through her nose, "Will you come with me, then, Master?"

Alucard's features took on a considering look as he sized her up, "Do you know any languages beside English, Police Girl?"

She considered fibbing, but thought better of it instantly, "No, Master."

"You will, time is a good teacher. Come, then, we have time until the next train is scheduled to leave." As he sat up his clothes changed; the red coat bleeding out color until it was black as night, his charcoal suit changing to more modern dark jeans and a fitted shirt, and shiny silver grommets appeared in his riding boots. _He looked hot._

Banishing the thought with a slight flush of her cheeks, the blue eyed blonde stared at the shaggy raven haired male with ominous red eyes and dressed rather like some of the Goths she'd seen at Trafalgar Square. He slid his yellow glasses into his front coat pocket and placed the book on the bedside table, his usual fedora tossed carelessly over the back of the chair near the window.

The pair exited the hotel moments later and Seras shivered at the strange feeling of the wind in the foreign city, stepping closer to her Master instinctively. Something felt… _off_ about the breeze, she couldn't quite put her finger on why, however. Alucard began to walk and she followed doggedly, keeping at his heels to not get lost – how embarrassing would that be? – and because she had a feeling he wouldn't let her get very far alone in any case.

Seras lost track of the time they spent walking with her reveling in the pretense of freedom, taking in the sights of a city not her own. Alucard stopped abruptly and she bounced off his back with an 'oof', scrunching her nose and rubbing it with the back of her hand. _Ow._

Stepping around her Sire to stand beside him, she blinked and cocked her head to the right curiously, rather baffled at the strange sight before her. They were at the edge of a graveyard and there appeared to be a silver haired woman clad in a much too large button up shirt dancing… with a corpse. She was doing the waltz, even! After a moment Seras' ears caught the sound of the mad woman's humming as she cradled the decomposing body to herself and guided the dance around the grave markers, Seras also took note of the other's bare feet. "…What?"

"She does this at least once a week, and no one's sure of her name. She's running out of cemeteries, though, so from what I know she'll be moving on to somewhere new." A red eyed ravenette clad in black leggings and a rather provocative white blouse, with a little too much jewelry that strangely reminded Seras of the pirate movies she saw as a kid spoke up, leaning on the wrought iron fence. Seras saw a few others lining the outskirts of the bone yard and the shifting breeze brought the scent of darkness and undeath, alerting her confused brain that she was surrounded by vampires. Alucard, being Alucard, began to laugh, and Seras wasn't quite sure if his mirth was aimed at the dancing duo or her reaction to it.

The reverberating baritone of her Sire's amusement caused the silver female to drop the corpse as she turned and bared her ivory teeth in disconcertingly shark like grin. A grin she'd seen many times on her Master's face when he got to kill something. Seras swore she hadn't blinked or looked away from the other, but the strange woman was suddenly _there_ and her mismatched gaze of ruby and sapphire bore intently into the fledgling's before shifting to the male at her side. A curious expression crossed her visage before she grinned and made a great show of using the hem of her much too large shirt like a skirt to courtesy to Alucard. "You smell of blood and power." The female purred as she pressed herself up against the amused male's side, rubbing her cheek against his shirt.

Seras felt a twinge of …something unpleasant when she saw the mad female fawning over her Sire in such a way. And speaking of smells… Lord! Had she never heard of bathing? Grave dirt, stale copper, mint, and something cloyingly sweet, with an underlying sourness, lined the back of her throat like wet cotton. It reminded her of the time her power went out and the meat went bad in her fridge…

Shuddering in disgust at the thought, the blonde stared at the pair. Her Sire made no attempt to remove the female from his person, and the uncomfortable feeling grew more intense. Without consciously realizing it, the fledgling curled her lip and growled, catching the other's attention away from Alucard.

"Oh? A new dance partner! Mr. Bellingsworth was quite stiff about it, not enough to drink." Seras was startled as she found herself flung in a circle by a firm grip on her wrists, the mad woman swinging her about like a child would dance with a stuffed animal.

Alucard laughed. What an ass.

From his example, perhaps, the other surrounding vampires joined in a chorus of jeering amusement at her expense. Damnit all to hell.

"Such a pretty thing you are. So young and tender…" The mad woman's voice purred, sickeningly sweet like honey dripping from a poisoned spoon. Something eerily familiar glowed in those eyes as they loomed closer and closer, making Seras feel a bit nervous. Pleadingly she turned her gaze to her Sire as her body was manipulated like a puppet to the whims of the stranger.

"And **mine**." Alucard's voice broke the spell, or whatever it was that held her limbs numb and Seras reacted in an instant to swing her foot into the mad woman's side and bolt back to the nebulous safety of her Master's shadow.

"And wicked kings never share." The response baffled Seras as she stared at the crumpled heap against the black fence, tangled hair covering the other's face and most of her body. "But alas, I was no swimmer, so I lost my Clementine." Giggles chimed like discordant bells as the crowd began to disperse around them, leaving only the trio at the edge of the cemetery.

"Be gone harridan, you no longer amuse me this night." Alucard growled as he lifted his goggle sided shades from his pocket to slip over his nose and shield his crimson gaze. A heavy hand clamped over Seras' shoulder as he led them away from the crescendoing shriek of shrill laughter, tainted by madness and untamed darkness. Seras again lost track of the time until they found themselves atop the Eiffel Tower, gazing down at the maze like paths od darkness betwixt the myriad lights of mortal fear for the unknown. It was strange, Seras had never considered street lamps and other such illumination in such a manner until her eyes were opened to the true world of the night, or as much of it as she allowed herself to see, anyways.

"Master..?"

He grunted, which she took to mean 'go ahead and speak'. So she did.

"What was… wrong with that other vampire? She seemed _off_." Seras struggled to find the right words without flat out saying that she thought the bewildering female to be bat shit crazy.

"As you thought, fledgling, the girl is mad. Powerful, old, and mad." Sparing half a glance in her direction his lips peeled back in a show of fang, "And to answer your unasked question, no, she is no threat to me for multiple reasons. Reasons I will not get into at this time. We've seen the city, Police Girl. It's time to return to the hotel."

Seras sighed resignedly, "Yes, Master."

A swirling maw of darkness appeared beneath them and she shivered in instinctive unease of the mockery of the laws of the universe and its makings, "Master? Will we meet others? Like tonight, ones we don't need to kill on sight." She questioned as his hand clamped over the back of her neck and pulled her to his side.

"Perhaps, Police Girl. If you behave."

With that, they disappeared into the void and vanished from the streets of Paris.


	2. Chapter 2

_**What Should Have Been**_

 _ **Ketti:**_ Oh look, chapter two! I'm glad you all are liking this rewrite so far! It means a lot to me. And if you don't know about it, there's a poll up on my page in regards to what I'll be posting when I finish rewriting this story.

* * *

" _You're an idiot."_

 _She gulped, "Master…"_

" _You choose the night. Once you've turned your back on the light of day, all the sunlight should ever mean to you is smoldering pain and a slow death."_

 _Shoulders and lips slumped in a frown as she looked away from the red clad figure in the doorway, uncomfortable._

…

" _Put the veteran and the rookie together and you may as well have one normal soldier." Walter chuckled, and her Master added his mirth as well._

…

" _It's here, Miss Victoria." Walter spoke as they stopped at a square indent in the surprisingly roomy air ducts. She nodded and hooked her gloved fingers into the edge of the metal to pull the covering free, revealing another panel. Turning to put the first, and rather unwieldy, square out of the way, she lost her balance, dropped the sheet of what she suspected to be iron, and fell bum first on the loosely moored wooden barrier. Which then proceeded to fall out from under her and leave her trapped awkwardly mid fall. A bit of wiggling in an attempt to crawl back up onto the secure platform of the duct led to her falling… falling… falling and landing on something rather hard and bony. "Wooah!"_

 _She fell backwards and realized in a flush of embarrassment that her landing pad was actually a member of the Round Table's face. "Are you alright Miss Victoria?" Walter asked as he landed in the room in a far more graceful manner. Lifting a hand to the back of her head awkwardly, she closed her eyes to block out the disapproving stares, "Hiii…"_

 _Sir Penwood's mutterings of her to get off tickled._

…

" _Ow! DIE!" The vulgar loud mouth yelled as he spit blood onto the floor and raised his gun to shoot Walter. She ran at him and slapped it from his hand, grabbing his arm to twist behind his back as she tackled him to the floor. "I got him Walter, are you alright?"_

…

 _The younger Valentine brother elbowed her in the gut, sending her flying back into the wall to crack her head and temporarily stun her. He leapt back behind his newly risen forces of ghouls… Ghouls that used to be Hellsing's soldiers._

" _My God, what have you done?" Walter asked, horrified as she slumped to the floor, her legs refusing to respond just yet._

 _The younger Valentine snapped his fingers and the ghouls advanced in a shuffling wave of rotting flesh. Walter began dismembering them before he was distracted by defending himself as the FREAK grabbed a discarded gun and opened fire upon the glimmering shield of razor floss. Seras was caught, still in the grips of her temporary paralysis, as the mindless husks grabbed her limbs and pulled her into the center of their mass. Hands… touching her everywhere… Oh God._

" _Time to get this party started!" The FREAK taunted as he flipped over the ghouls and past Walter to run down the hall towards the Round Table conference room. Walter's wires caught his arm and it ripped cleanly off as he laughed and burst through the room, pulling out a hidden hand gun and shooting point blank into Sir Integra's chest before a volley of bullets sent him flying back to the floor in a splatter of crimson. "Boom, baby." He gasped in a gush of blood, a manic grin splitting his face even as another rain of bullets tore chunks from his broken body._

 _Seras watched, horrified, between the gaps of the crowding ghouls before everything went red. Her last thought echoed painfully in her rage filled mind; 'I failed...'_

…

Seras jerked awake with a wordless shout, s _o that was what happened… The night Sir Integra died and her Master was freed. The night they left London._

She glanced around the small train cabin room to see her Master sitting on the other bench with his glasses twirled by the nose piece around his index finger. "That's right, Police Girl. You were weak, and failed your mission to protect Sir Integra. Now we are free of human enslavement and I shall see you strong. For a war is still coming, have no delusions of that."

Lifting herself into a sitting position the blonde frowned at her dark haired Sire.

"What if I only drink the blood bags?"

He scoffed, "Do you think Hellsing will send them to you now, wherever and whenever? No. You will feed like a proper creature of the night."

"But I don't want to take human life selfishly, needlessly. I was a police officer, an upholder of the law, and peace, and protector of those who could not defend themselves!"

"And now you are a vampire." Alucard countered smoothly, almost lovingly, but there was still a vicious bite in those few simple words, and it stung.

Seras' fists clenched painfully, nails digging into her palms to the point of threatening to draw blood. "If I refuse?"

"You can't, your fate is sealed, Police Girl. You're a Midian, a creature of the night, you prey on the creatures of day. That's just the way it is, this is what has to be done, and no one has the power to change that. Not God, the Devi, or you." He sneered at her, a nasty mocking light in his eyes.

"Then I'll choose my prey! If I must take life, it will be from the criminals who have evaded the law." She tensed her shoulders and squared her jaw, a hard glint in her blue eyes turning them cold as ice. She would not lose herself the way her Master had, she would still be herself! Even if that self was a vampire, a murderer.

He clapped his hands together and laughed, "Marvelous! Yes, that's just what I expected from you, fledgling. Very good, Seras." The use of her name shocked her and sent warmth thrilling through her veins. She'd pleased him somehow, with her defiance. It confused her, but the warmth of his praise made it all worth it.

"Master?"

"Yes, childe?"

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." He grinned at her, baring his rows of sharpened teeth in a savage parody of a human's smile. She shivered, and flicked her gaze away, crossing her arms protectively across her chest and curling her fingers around her elbows.

"Yes, Master."

* * *

As the sun set, Seras stirred and brought a hand up to rub at her eyelids, only to pause midway through the gesture when she realized a few things; A – they were still on a train,, no big surprise there. B – she didn't see her Master in the cramped little room. C – her pillow felt suspiciously shaped and unyielding. Tilting her head back she stared up into the face of her Sire, upon whose lap she had been sleeping. A shiver worked its way down her spine and her hair fluffed out in wider spikes like a cat puffing itself up to appear bigger.

"Master…" Leaning up and away from him she used the excuse of stretching to move to the unoccupied bench-bed opposite her Sire. Really now, why was he all touchy feely all of the sudden? For the first few months - was it truly so short a time? Being a vampire was really starting to mess with her head - she'd known him under Hellsing employ he'd been nothing short of a cold bastard. Not that he's not still a bastard, she considered, using her hand to hide the twinges of a derisive smirk from his sight. Ever since… since _that_ night and she'd woken up on the train, he'd been invading her personal space and touching her; petting her head, letting her use him as a pillow, and lord only knows what else when she was unconscious.

"Feeling violated, Police Girl?" He mocked, a lecherous twist to his lips as he leered at the sleepy blonde across from him.

"Well, maybe I am!" She huffed, fidgeting and scooting closer to the door, "And for another thing, I wake up in different clothes I don't remember changing into, Master." She accused flatly. He laughed.

Seras' eyes narrowed to blue slits and she growled in frustration at the infuriating creature she was bound to.

Alucard stopped his laughter in an instant, and whipped his head back towards her to bare his fangs in a snarl, his blood teeth elongating even as she watched in fascinated horror. "Do you challenge me, chit?"

She whimpered and hunched in on herself, seeming even smaller as she edged nearer still to the door leading out into the rest of the train. He growled and stood, looming over her with a mad look in his eyes, and she cringed.

His hand caressed her cheek for the barest moment before he backhanded the same spot and sent her flying like a ragdoll out the suddenly opened door to crumble in a heap against the far wall while the barrier slammed shut in her face, locking her out. Without thinking twice, she skittered off in an awkward crouch low to the floor for a few feet before she straightened up like a normal person, though she continued to jog away from the malicious presence looming in the back of the hall.

"He's impossible." She muttered, rubbing the backs of her arms as though to warm herself as she settled herself in the far corner table of the dining car, staring out the dark window moodily.

The thought of jumping through the window and escaping the train teased at her brain, and she considered it. Master would never kn-… FUCK! A vice clamped around her skull and **squeezed**. Bringing her hands up to bat away the attacker, she felt nothing but air, and the throbbing in her head increased ten fold. Moaning under her breath in agony, she slumped against the table and covered her head with her arms in a futile attempt to protect herself. Master would, and did know, and he was punishing her for even _thinking_ of leaving him. That much was obvious from the agonizingly real phantom pain.

"The wicked king doesn't share, pretty one." A voice crooned into her ear, and she jerked upright in alarm to stare at the silver haired woman from before. "You! How.. what… Are you following us?" Seras demanded, feeling on the verge of mental exhaustion suddenly.

Sharp teeth were bared in a facsimile of her Master's shark grin, and those disconcerting eyes of fire and ice bored into her very soul. "Pretty little fledglings should obey their masters." She continued in that purring tone, reaching out her hand as though to caress Seras' cheek.

"Who are you?" Seras asked, leaning away from the touch, and noticing that the female smelled … fresher, she supposed, no longer of rotting meat and grave dirt, but still that rather nauseating combination of old pennies, mint, and what she thought was the tang of cloves and roses. Though the last scent seemed to come more from the lavender button up she wore like a dress.

"Who…hm, who indeed? I have a name I suppose." The creature mused, tapping her pointer finger to her lips in thought and crossing her bare legs, reminding Seras that she was barefoot. "Ah, that will do! You, the wicked king's pretty thing, may call me Nekette."

"Are you following us?" She asked flatly, unimpressed with the theatrics.

"What is to follow? Oh but the wicked king's power… Ahhh." Shivering, her eyes glazed, and Seras felt rather disturbed, "No, pretty thing. Only here and there."

"Why do I not believe you?" Seras asked, mostly to herself as she drummed her fingers on the tabletop.

"Because I am mad!" Nekette crowed, laughing and throwing her head back in an explosion of mirth to send her gleaming hair flying. "Oh the pretty thing is so clever to not trust the Nekette. No, no, the mad little lady…" Baring her teeth, eyes widening to inhuman proportions, she looked about ready to pounce and tear someone's throat out.

Nekette calmed so abruptly that Seras nearly leaped to her feet to bolt back the way she'd come, feeling tense and hyper aware of the elder vampire's every move. "But the pretty thing had questions, hm? Oh, the mad one knows some…" Purring, she ran the back of her hand up and over her forehead in a distinctly feline gesture. "The wicked king will guide the pretty thing, but the pretty thing should know. Vampires are animals, social creatures driven by pack order and dominance. Weaklings should be seen and not heard, and keep their teeth to themselves." Leering at the buxom blonde, the more powerful vampire vanished to appear behind the girl with arms wrapped around Seras' chest rather provocatively. "Such a pretty, pretty, weak thing…." Nuzzling the side of the girl's neck, the mad one groped her palmfuls of virgin breast and vanished with a shriek of laughter that rang painfully in her sensitive ears.

"Holy…" Seras blinked.

"Wait a sec… WHAT!" She shrieked as she realized what had just happened. She felt violated and disturbed, Storming from the table and making her way back to the room she fumed inwardly about the perverse visitation. Most of what the other said made no sense, but she tucked it away to analyze later.

"Why is she following me?" Seras grumbled as she reached the room she was thrown from but minutes prior.

"Because she is a meddlesome thing, fledgling. Come inside, before you draw more attention." Alucard's voice answered as the door swung open to allow admittance.

Hyped up on nerves as she was, she sighed, and stared down at the floor. "Yes, Master."

It was best to get along with him for now at least. After all, he held all the cards, and it wasn't yet her turn to shuffle the deck.

"This is all so confusing."


	3. Chapter 3

**_What Should Have Been_**

 _ **Ketti:**_ I'm sorry if this is a bit late, I'm trying to keep to a weekly schedule. I hope y'all can dig it and forgive me if I slack off a day or two. Doing my best to finish all the rewriting before my small buffer runs out.

Thank Jubalii for my writing.

* * *

Muffled voices sounded in her ears, accompanied with an oddly familiar floating sensation. Murring, squinching her eyes shut tighter, she burrowed deeper into her pillow. Faintly, so much so it barely touched her retreating mind, she felt the sun playing footsie with the horizon and teasing the daylit world with its lingering presence. Too… early…

…

Head lolling, she felt herself sinking into something exceedingly pliant and warm. Mmm, it felt nice. Sprawling like a cat to spread herself across the plush mattress, she purred and drifted off deeper into the pleasant numbness in her brain. So… sleepy…

…

"Miss? Excuse, me, Miss Vampire, are you awake yet? Your Master told me to bring you this." A timid voice crept into her senses, calling her back from the childish dreams of sunlight and laughter. Opening her eyes grudgingly she stared into startled jade irises that quickly jerked back and hid beneath a curtain of black bangs. Seras shook her head, and yawned, stretching indolently with arms above her head.

Swinging her legs out of bed to dangle over the edge, she took this moment to scrutinize her visitor curiously; a young girl, surely not yet in her teens, dressed in a maid's uniform was staring at the wall with a package held delicately in her arms. When the girl turned to face her after a moment Seras caught sight of the black leather collar around her throat and felt disturbed. "Would you put this on, please, Miss Vampire? Your Master insisted." There was a hint of fear in those green eyes that sent a chill down her spine; she didn't want to endanger the girl! So she nodded and gazed curiously at the provocative looking blue dress, eyebrows disappearing into her blonde fringe in incredulity. He couldn't possibly be serious..!

"…" Seras opened and closed her mouth, staring at the ensemble with a brilliant red flush of horror spreading across her cheeks, "Are there any extra pieces to it he forgot?" She asked hopefully,

"Erm… no ma'am. He said if you protested to remind you that your uniform was more revealing." The girl sounded uncomfortable herself now as she watched the fledgling with wide eyes.

"Yeah, but that was a uniform…" Seras grumbled as she picked the dress up by the corner and grimaced when she realized it was strapless.

"Does Miss Vampire need help? These old style clothes are tricky, you know." The girl offered, and Seras nodded helplessly. A small team of older maids bustled into the room then and there was so much movement of rustling skirts, clothes being yanked off and on her that she felt dizzy. Brushes were yanked through her hair and she yelped in protest, which seemed to prompt an attack with make up of all things! When it was all said and done and she was presented with a mirror, Seras was forced to grudgingly admit she looked nice; the dress matched the color of her eyes and teased the tops of her knees, and the bodice was actually a stylish looking black corset with white laces and a flower she didn't recognize, though she wished the neckline were a bit higher… despite the size of her bust, the little virgin wasn't comfortable showing that much breast unless she was at the pool. The make up lined her eyes in black and rouged her cheeks – did she really need it with how badly she was blushing?! – thankfully leaving her lips alone. The pigtails were rather off putting, all of her hair was scooped out of her face and she felt a little too exposed. Then she noticed it; her feet were bare. "Uhm… what about my shoes?"

The maids exchanged glances and scooted the girl forward as they retreated to other duties. The child fidgeted a moment before she answered, "None of the … fledglings in this place wear shoes, Miss Vampire." She spoke, hesitating on the word 'fledgling' which left Seras feeling suspicious of what she stopped herself from saying. "It is the court etiquette of Lord Bram's castle." She added with a nervous twitch of her lips.

Seras blinked. "Court?"

The girl gave her a startled look, "You mean your Master didn't… It is not my place to say, Miss Vampire. Please, if you'll follow me?"

"Do I have any choice?" She muttered to herself under her breath, fidgeting with the folds of her skirt.

The girl led her through twisting hallways and down multiple stairs until they entered what looked like a grand dining hall with no widows and countless banners hanging from the high ceiling. The presence of innumerable vampires was rather overwhelming, the taste of bloodwine in the air choking, and she caught sight of dozens of collared maids, with serving trays gliding along the edges of the massive tables.

Amongst the twisting powers and smells, her Master stood out and drew her unerringly towards him, unknowingly leaving the girl behind her as she followed the pull on her senses. She could feel the weight of many stares and had to bite her lip to keep from hunching her shoulders and shrinking in on herself like a timid child.

At last, what felt like an eternity later, she made it to the table at the end of the hall where her Master and a few others sat. Glancing at them nervously, her gaze flicked back to her Sire to see an expectant look on his face. When all she did was stand there dumbly, he reached out and backhanded her casually to the floor. She yelped and crumpled like a tag doll, bringing a hand up to her stinging cheek to stare at him with wide eyes full of shock and betrayal. What did she do?!

 ** _'_** ** _Be more observant, Childe. If you see what you did wrong I won't punish you further in front of an audience.'_** His voice hissed between her ears, cold and unapologetic for what she perceived to be an unprovoked attack.

With a grimace she glanced through the table legs to scrutinize her surroundings further. It took her a moment, but she soon realized that the weaker feeling ones were kneeling at the feet of the older and stronger vampires. Sooo… Scrunching her face up in annoyance she affected a carefully blank face as she pulled herself upright and adjusted her skirt to cover more of her legs as she sat at his feet with her own tucked beneath her butt. A hand rested on her head in silent approval and it took a lot to not lash out and bite him like she so dearly wanted to.

 ** _'_** ** _Fiesty. I like that in you, Police Girl, but now is not the right time.'_**

"She learns quickly, for one so young. I commend you on your taste in beauty, Draculae." A voice spoke from her Master's other side and she leaned forward a bit to peer over his lap at the speaker. "Yes," another voice answered drolly, "It took my last fledgling five slaps and at least ten kicks before she stopped her blubbering and sat still." Seras could tell she wouldn't like the second speaker already. Then she blinked, wait, what? Draculae? As in … she wanted to slap herself then for not connecting the dots sooner. In her defense, she'd never read the bloody book.

Alucard chuckled and took a sip from his goblet, saying nothing.

Seras began to fidget uncomfortably, twiddling her thumbs and drawing patterns on her legs and twisting her skirt up between her fingers. God she was bored, and all the others at the table were talking about things that happened over a century ago. What was the point of her being there if she was just going to be ignored?

"Master?" She dared to ask, unable to keep still and silent any longer.

The hand she'd nearly forgotten atop her head shot down to the back of her neck to haul her up into his lap, the tight grip cut off her air supply and halted her yelp of protest before it could leave her lips. Stiff as a board she flinched when his hand neared her face, anticipating violence. Instead it merely covered her mouth like a gag as he stared down at her with wicked amusement, "Fledglings are to be seen and not heard, Police Girl. If you cannot accomplish such a simple feat, how will you ever get stronger?" He lectured, and she wanted to squirm. She was sitting side saddle across his legs so that anyone who looked could get an eyeful of exactly how well endowed the red coated male's blood servant was. "If you must occupy yourself, drink this." He continued, lifting his goblet up to her lips. She started to reach for it, but his free hand slapped hers away and she glared at him mulishly before parting her lips to allow him to pour a sip of bloodwine into her mouth. She felt ridiculous, being fed like an infant.

The conversation resumed around them and his free hand settled possessively across her hip as he continued to tip infinitesimal servings of the heady liquid betwixt her lips. Her gaze wandered curiously along the table's other occupants with the vantage of her higher position above the floor. There were quite a few female vampires, but she noticed an abundance of males with more than one fledgling or wife or whatever they were … harems perhaps. _Pigs._ Only those seated in chairs were actively speaking. _Elitists._

 ** _'_** ** _Such harsh judgments for one so young.'_** Her Master's voice teased, **_'Most of the creatures in this hall are past their first century, and raised in the old ways.'_** He continued, apparently able to hold multiple conversations at once, what a neat trick.

 ** _'_** ** _Master, why aren't there proper vampires in England?'_**

 ** _'_** ** _There are, Police Girl, they're just smart enough to not feed indiscriminately like the FREAKS or the undisciplined fledglings.'_**

 ** _'…_** ** _Oh.'_**

Mulling this new information over carefully in her mind, she pondered what her life as a vampire was going to be like in the days ahead. At Hellsing it had been more like her job as a police officer, although the monsters she took down were more literal. Here… she really had no ideas.

 ** _'_** ** _You will soon enough, Seras.'_** Her Master crooned even as he took away the goblet and drained the rest of its contents himself.

 _How soon is soon, though?_ She grumbled to herself even as she felt her thoughts getting more hazy. Maybe she drank a bit too much… Resting her head woozily on her Sire's shoulder she closed her eyes for just a moment.

* * *

Seras woke to find herself curled up like a cat on her Master's lap with his hand running through her now unbound hair. The pair were seated – and she used the term loosely for herself – in an oversized arm chair at the edge of what looked to be a stage. Seras blinked blearily as colors flashed before her eyes; pretty dancers with an almost olive complexion and almond shaped eyes above their face veils. They wore translucent clothing that reminded her of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, and they danced with long sheer scarves attached to wrist bangles with bells at their ankles. This performance made her wonder where the hell they were. Last she remembered was a mention of Italy…

The lead female – at least Seras assumed that's who she was – sashayed her way forward to a pole near their end of the stage and abruptly took a running leap at the rod, swinging herself around it multiple times while her skirt wound itself tighter and tighter until she laid on the floor in what looked like an uncomfortable position with her legs tied upright by the twisted fabric. Then the green eyed woman winked at Seras amidst the round of polite applause and the blonde felt a flush creep up her cheeks at the suggestive gleam in those eyes. Her Master chuckled in her ear, sending shivers down her spine, and she fidgeted. The dancer went so far as to blow her a kiss before unwinding herself by crawling back up the pole in the reverse direction she'd spun down it and balancing elegantly atop the narrow point whilst another girl Seras hadn't noticed stood opposite her. They leapt at each other and Seras cringed, expecting an impact that never came. Instead they sailed just over and under each other to switch places, performing the same trick from earlier. The new girl, a brunette with copper eyes lay on her back with her arms above her head, the hands dangling just shy of touching the pair in the chair. Seras scooched back closer to her Sire's chest when she saw that same perverse light glow in the dancer's eyes. Alucard put a possessive hand on her hip so casually that she barely noticed, half hypnotized by the swirls of red and gold in the woman's gaze.

The dancer winked and reached her hands out to squeeze the fledgling's generous breasts, but her wrists were caught the instant her fingertips grazed the material of the fledgling's dress by a snarling Master vampire. "I. Don't. Share." With a jerk of his hands he tore the offending limbs from the suddenly terrified female in a shower of blood – that got **all** over Seras – and threw them to the floor in disgust. "Never touch what is mine." He growled, wrapping his arms back around his bloody fledgling as though nothing had happened.

Seras blinked. Then she blinked again.

The shell shock wore off moments later and she shrieked, struggling to free herself from her Master's lap. "What is **wrong** with you?! You don't tear someone's hands off for nothing!" She shouted at him in the sudden silence of the performance hall, pushing violently against his chest to lever herself away from him. _Oh god, she was covered in blood._

"Stop your struggling!" He snapped at her, baring his fangs in a show of displeasure, she shivered in fear but managed to get her legs up from under her to push against him for more leverage. He backhanded her and she crumpled to the floor, landing in the pool of blood surrounding the severed hands. "I will forgive your impudence because you are so young," he growled, standing and bending at the waist to fist her hair and drag her painfully to her feet, "But I will not be so lenient a second time, fledgling."

With those words he turned and dragged her from the room, and she saw the others watching them with mildly interested looks on their faces, as though this were an everyday occurrence. Yelping at a particularly harsh tug, fearing he would scalp her at this rate, she reached her hands up to wrap around his wrist in an attempt to lessen the pressure on her skull. "Master!"

"Silence, Police Girl." He shot back, storming through the hallways and scattering servants in his wake; she saw them cowering against the walls to keep out of his path. At last they arrived in a white tiled room and he threw her into a wall, she shrieked as the impact broke her ankle, twisting her foot around to a sickening angle. Curling in on herself pathetically, she cringed as she heard his boots tap the tile by her head, expecting another blow. Instead, a shower of cool water poured from the ceiling, washing the blood from her skin in trickles of pink. She peeked her eyes open cautiously to see him kneeling next to her, examining her mangled foot, while his clothes got progressively wetter and his hair clung to her fast just like hers.

"So troublesome and fragile." He sighed, shaking his head as he reached out and quick as a flash, snapped her foot back into the proper alignment. She screamed and jerked herself backwards, hitting her head on the wall with a dull _thud_. Shivering and biting back the whimpers so hard her blood teeth sunk into her lower lip, she tucked her knees to her chest and buried her face between them, wrapping her arms protectively about herself like a child.

He grunted and she heard movement, thinking he might leave, rather hoping he would, actually. She felt raw and hyper sensitized to his presence just then; one minute he was normal, almost human, the next he was tearing someone's limbs off, or punishing her for some unintended slight, or, or, or… It was all too much. She longed for the quiet times when he mostly ignored her at Hellsing.

The curtain of water abruptly parted around her as he stood over her, and she almost looked up, but was determined to keep her defensive position in case of further assaults. Rather than harming her, however, she felt something cool drizzling over her scalp and his fingers began to massage the strands. A bit of foam drifted down her nose and she wriggled it, wiping the suds from her face with the back of her hand. _Why was he washing her hair?_

A glance at her arm answered her; the bubbles were tinted pink, he was getting the blood out. She blinked. Her Master and his mercurial moods…

Relaxing just slightly as he continued silently grooming her, she closed her eyes and let her head loll with the gentle ministrations, shivering pleasantly when the now warm water washed over her and swept the shampoo away. This continued for a few minutes until he deemed the filmy residue gone and blocked the falling droplets once more, and she smelled something vaguely fruity as she heard a _click_ of a new bottle opening. Lulled further by the floral aroma, she slumped against her knees and drifted into a haze of half awareness.

She stirred when the shower was turned off, and further when he hauled her up by the armpits to prop her on a seat. When he tore her soggy clothes off she shrieked and jerked back, only to fall into the large towel held open for just that reaction. She was bundled up swiftly and a flush crept from her cheeks to the tops of her breasts. "Master…" She mumbled, ducking her head in embarrassment.

She could **hear** the smirk in his voice as he scooped her up as though she weighed nothing at all, and purred in her ear, "Yes, Police Girl?"

Being so close to his chest she noticed his clothes were completely dry. _How the hell did he do that?_ "Mmnn.." She mumbled, changing her mind about asking him why he was doing this.

"Because I can, fledgling. Being my servant is not all discipline and lessons." He answered her thoughts, carrying her down another series of hallways. "The life of a vampire is a glorious thing, Police Girl. You will learn to appreciate it." He murmured as they entered a room she recognized as the one she woke up in earlier that night.

He placed her on the bed and even went so far as to tuck her in with the covers hiked up to her chin, a rather wicked smirk twisting his lips.

"…Master?"

"Mm?" He hummed, brows arching.

"How long are we staying?" She glanced away from him, a queer feeling in her stomach. She didn't like this place much.

"We leave on the next train, Police Girl, this was merely an introduction to the old bloods social norm. As a member of my bloodline you will be expected to follow them. For now, at least."

The last part sent a chill down her spine at the implications in his tone. What was he planning? Did she want to know?

"You will see soon enough, Police Girl. Now go to sleep."

Sleep? Sleep sounded glorious. Sleep was a reprieve from the insanity that her life had become these past few days… or weeks… or however long it's been.

"G'Night, Master." She mumbled into her pillow as she turned on her side, hugging the plush cushion to herself like a teddy bear.

She got no reply, and felt vaguely hurt by it for some absurd reason.

 _Why should I even care?_

 _I don't know anymore._


	4. Chapter 4

_**What Should Have Been**_

 _ **Ketti:**_ -looks around shifty eyed- I exist, I swear. Though the next chapter is the last of my pre-fixed chapters... so I hav e two weeks to battle my mini writers block before I fsck up my update schedule. Everyone yell at JuJu to make me write. In the form of nice reviews to her stories. -shifty eyes-

* * *

Seras Victoria drowsily thought she heard a _'clickity clack'_ sort of sound, and her bed seemed to vibrate in time with the noise. The word 'déjà vu' came to mind and her features scrunched up in distaste. _Again?_ Lifting her arm up to cover her face with her hand, she groaned and peeked through the cracks between her fingers to examine the room. It was… empty.

Frowning, she levered herself up on her elbow to look more carefully. But her initial thought was correct; she was alone in the cabin, and definitely on a train. Where was her Master?

Unable to return to sleep, and quickly growing bored of waiting for his return she rolled herself off the cushioned bench-bed and spotted a pair of ankle boots in her size near the door. She put them on, having no desire to get her white socks dirty, and peered out the door down both ends of the hallway. Nothing.

Shrugging, she decided to explore and see if she could find the wayward man. She chose to treat it as a game; in each new car she would guess how many people were there and if she would find her Sire among them or not.

She was wrong more often than she was right, especially about her Master's position, when she reached the rear of the train she frowned, puzzled, but turned and backtracked to make it all the way to the front. She knew he was there… somewhere, she could _feel_ it. Tugging a strand of hair in thought, she wandered back to the room, unaware of the curious stares she received as she passed through the dining car in her daze. She noticed then that the window in her cabin was open. Brows arching into her hair with disbelief, she leaned out the window, careful not to overbalance and fall, and looked up.

 _The moon was beautiful tonight._ Looming huge in the sky, glowing softly and illuminating the countryside as they passed in a rumble of churning wheels. Something was telling her she was right in her theory, so she carefully scooted out the window to find a fairly easy hand hold next to her to clamber her way up the side and onto the corrugated roof. The texture allowed her boots to stick easier despite the winds attempting to fling her into space like a ragdoll. There, near the front of the train, stood her Master gazing up at the moon with his hair flying longer than she'd ever remembered seeing it and his coat tails flapping.

Cautiously she worked her way closer to her Sire. While it was true she really didn't know **what** to feel for the monster that took away her humanity, he was the closest thing to family she had left in this moonlit world of shadows and blood, so while he frightened her at times, she still had the urge to stay close to him. To be at his side. She wondered if that was her talking, or the inhuman reflection of herself lurking in the back of her mind… waiting to leap out of the looking glass and take her place in the driver's seat at a moment's notice.

After what seemed like an hour, though it surely couldn't have been more than five minutes, she made it to his side; her slight frame acting as a feeble buffer from the untamed winds as they tore at clothing and hair like greedy urchins looking for a spare penny. A shiver worked its way down her spine and through her limbs, for though she was a creature of the night and less vulnerable to temperatures than humans, she was still a young and relatively weak fledgling for not drinking her blood. Something warm and soft curled around her shoulders and she blinked, canting her head to the side curiously as she realized what shielded her from the chill was her Master's hair. How odd.

"Vampires, Police Girl, are quite unlike any other creature known to this world; most of the stories surrounding our weaknesses are false, of course." He smirked down at her with a flash of moonlight on his fangs, smugness glowing in his eyes, even veiled as they were by his amber lenses. "Just as not all the myths of our powers are true. Blood is a key factor, fledgling; the more powerful the Sire the more resilient the Childe, but that does not mean that one cannot surpass their bloodline." He continued in a firm scholarly tone, "You'd be surprised, Police Girl, where determination will get you when you walk the path of shadows willingly. Just as humans evolve, so too do vampires as the lines spread and separate. Dilution leads to interesting side effects." He hummed the last part with a strange look on his face as she gazed up at his profile silhouetted by the moon, "Not all vampires can create ghouls, the majority cannot stand even the hint of sunlight, the garlic is a fool's tale, but the strong odor can be a repellent to the sensitive. There are so many varieties in nosferatu, now that the old bloods are a disappearing breed." He sounded truly disheartened by that last bit of news, and she inched closer to him as though to comfort him.

"Enough of this talk, I told you before a war is coming, and as you are, you won't survive the first battle. You must learn to unlock your new senses without relying on your instincts and losing yourself. Your first test will be speed." His hand clamped around her shoulder and she felt goosebumps rippling down her arms in trepidation. "Experience is the best teacher, Police Girl. If you cannot catch up within the hour I will be unhappy." He bared his teeth in a macabre smile and hefted her in the air to fling her over the side of the train. She shrieked and instinctively curled herself in a ball as she felt gravity take hold and drag her to the ground at a sickening speed.

 **CRUNCH!**

 _Ow._ Breaking a tree in half with the impact of her landing _really fucking hurt._ "Damnit, Master!" She cursed as she realized the train was already far out of reach. "Experience is the best teacher." She mocked and huffed, pushing her disheveled bangs from her face and leaning against an unbroken tree to regain her bearings.

' _ **Tick tock, Police Girl.'**_

"Yeah yeah…"

Grimacing at the mental reminder, she pushed off from the sturdy trunk and began jogging. _How am I supposed to catch up with a train of all things?_ Picking up speed as she realized there was no stitch in her side to slow her down – she was never really the best runner – she made it to the train tracks and squinted into the distance. There, she saw it still, just barely. "Great, just bloody marvelous."

So she started running, and running, and running. She found after about twenty minutes that she wasn't getting tired, and her breath came easily as though she were merely walking. But she still wasn't fast enough.

Just then she heard a horn blasting behind her and she glanced over her shoulder in shock to see a new train barreling up behind her at high speeds. Eyes widening, she glanced to her sides frantically and realized she was on a bridge with no room to get out of the way. God damnit! Faster, she needed to go faster!

The horn sounded again and she could feel it in her bones as the track began to vibrate. Oh god, oh god, oh god… The screeching brakes told her the conductor saw her, but she knew that unless she found the speed her Master told her she possessed, she'd be hit and either crushed or thrown off the bridge into the fast moving river below. Vampires and flowing water did not mix very well.

"MASTER!" She screamed as her feet pounded the wooden boards, and the horn blared so loud she felt deafened by it. Oh god, oh god, oh god..!

And then, something just… _clicked_ and she was at the other side of the bridge and sprinting desperately ahead, her surroundings a blur as she hot footed it back to the passenger train and her Sire. She could feel his smugness through their connection, and cursed him blackly even as she reveled in her new speed. It took her mere minutes to catch up, and run alongside the train as easily as if she were skipping. She stared at the windows carefully, looking for signs of their shared cabin and found it after a moment as she gazed into the uncovered eyes of the dark haired man she was bound to. Leaping up to grab the sill she squeaked as the world suddenly reasserted itself and the wind nearly flung her back into space, but warm and firm hands grasped her wrists and hauled her inside where she was treated to a round of condescending laughter at her expense.

"It's not funny!" She growled and crossed her arms over her chest in a huff. Her Master was such an ass.

"Of course it is," he teased as he sat opposite her and stretched out his long legs in an indolent sprawl. "Do you know how you did it, Police Girl, or do I have to toss you back out the window?"

In answer she seemed to blur, hardly move at all, but then quite suddenly she had his favored red fedora atop her head and a smug look on her flushed face.

He favored her with one of his shark grins and crossed his feet at the ankles as he settled himself back into the padded bench with hands clasped over his waist. "Very good, Seras."

The use of her name sent a thrill through her, and she beamed at the praise.

"It is but the first step of many, fledgling, but you did well."

"Thank you, Master." She murmured, then recalled his teaching method and scrunched her face in disgust, "But never do that again."

"No promises." He laughed and crooked his finger in a come hither gesture that floated the hat back atop his head. The brim tilted low over his face and for all intents and purposes he appeared to be asleep. Huffing a bit, Seras flopped over gracelessly across the bench to stare at the ceiling until her eyelids felt heavy and she yawned.

' _Maybe being a vampire won't be so bad…'_ She thought drowsily, if she chose her prey carefully and allowed herself to grow more powerful, maybe… A yawn cracked her jaw and she settled more deeply into the padding, maybe she could be like her Master, be a monster to protect England from the other monsters, only she'd do it of her free will. _Maybe…_


	5. Chapter 5

_**What Should Have Been**_

 _ **Ketti:**_ Sooo... I'm not dead. I think y'all can appreciate that. Right? ...Right? If you kill me, JuJu won't be ab le to force me to write more chapters to stories I'll never publish. I mean, what?

* * *

"We'll be travelling on foot from here." Her Master spoke as they disembarked the train into the lingering rays of the setting sun. Seras squinted and shifted a bit, tucking herself more into the tall man's shadow. It didn't hurt, exactly, but it made her feel uncomfortably hot and tingly along her skin. Like the bad sunburns she had as a child.

"Where are we going, Master?" She asked, following in his footsteps. He was ignoring her.

Frowning and glaring at his back she muttered under her breath and followed him grudgingly, doing her best to ignore the odd looks they got from passersby. She had to admit they looked odd; a six foot something man wearing a flamboyant red trench coat and a charcoal suit with knee high black riding boots and an elaborately done cravat with a matching fedora and yellow tinted goggle sided glasses with a five foot something female dwarfed by his shadow in a blue and black pseudo corset top, elbow length lace up gloves, a ruffled blue skirt that teased the tops of her knees and black ankle boots. Who wouldn't stare? They looked like they escaped from the Victorian Era, and Seras was embarrassed with all the men staring at her like a piece of meat. "What country is this?" She tried again as she kept just behind him to let his much more intimidating figure part the crowds like the red sea and leave her free to concentrate on her attempts to get him to answer at least **one** of her damned questions.

"One that still follows the old ways." He half turned his head to smirk at her knowingly, a mocking light in his eyes behind those amber lenses.

Apparently he was going to be difficult. The ass.

They walked for a while through a quaint city, and Seras couldn't let her futile grudge about his refusal to divulge their location prevent her from enjoying the sights. The smells wafting through the shop lined streets made her wish she could still eat real food, and her steps slowed as she caught a glimpse of fluttering fabric out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head curiously and admired the pretty dresses, her expression lighting up with childish glee as she spotted the rows of necklaces, one in particular stood out; a blue satin ribbon with a delicately carved and detailed silver dragon pendant stitched to the front. The onyx chips for its eyes drew her unknowingly closer – she'd always loved dragons, and had a whole collection of them as a child before her parents… Banishing that thought swiftly she realized that she was no longer on the path between the stalls, instead she was only a few feet away from the rows of neck-and-shoulder mannequins displaying their wares in the lingering rays of the sun's bloody death upon the horizon. A hand clamped over her bare shoulder and she jumped, bristling a bit at the low tones of her Sire's laughter at her expense. "See something you like, Police Girl?"

Unable to help herself, her gaze drifted back to the dragon tethered to the blue ribbon, as though trapped eternally in the skies and she heard him hum in interest as he followed her line of sight. The shop keeper approached them then and Seras was lost in the sea of words she didn't understand, but the happy look on the woman's face as she turned towards the line of jewelry was all the information she needed. Her Master was buying it for her. A pleased flush lit her cheeks as the pleasantly plump female returned with the necklace resting on black velvet in an open box. Alucard spoke with her again and the female nodded, popping open the simple clasp at the back and motioning Seras forward to help her put it on. The satin slithered over her flesh and she shivered at the coolness, the ribbon choker fit perfectly with the pendant resting in the hollow of her throat.

"Fit for a Draculina." She heard him murmur and when she turned to look he had a strange expression on his face that unnerved her slightly. The shop keeper bobbed her head at the pair as she turned away and Seras blinked, wondering when she'd been paid.

"Come, Police Girl, the night has only just begun."

Lifting a hand to her neck to stroke the pendant absently, she nodded and followed, behind him and slightly to his right. "Yes, Sir."

* * *

Seras leaned against a tree, feeling faintly ill from the overwhelming scents of the forest and the hunger roaring silently in her ears. "I feel sick." She moaned, clenching her eyes shut and curling her fingers in the fabric of her skirt. They'd walked to the edge of the town and entered the woods, and from then 'til now they'd been running through the trees in a blur of vampiric speed. She'd enjoyed it at first, making a game of 'dodge the trunk', but it quickly grew monotonous and the thrill of being in such old forest land unaltered by modern creations dwindled into boredom.

Her Master sighed impatiently as she heard his heavy boots crunch through the dead leaves around her. "We'll be there, shortly, Police Girl."

"Where?" She asked petulantly, crossing her arms mulishly across her chest and glaring at the grass beneath his feet. Yes she was ecstatic over the gift, but that didn't cancel out all her frustration with him and his high handed ways.

"You'll see when we get there, fledgling."

"I'm hungry…" She mumbled, looking away from him entirely.

"You wouldn't be if you drank the blood." He said coldly.

"I know." She mumbled, tipping her head down so that her bangs shrouded her face. He was reminding her of the man he'd grabbed from a dark alleyway and thrown at her feet a few days ago between trains, after their brief stay at the vampire castle, telling her the man was a convict. She'd stared into those terrified eyes and felt sick, surely he couldn't have done something so bad to warrant death at her teeth? Despite the growing tightness it her stomach demanding she take the offering and drink her fill, she just _couldn't_. And being of Alucard's bloodline unfortunately meant that her bite would transform him into a ghoul regardless of how much blood he had left. Her Master had looked disgusted with her weakness and refused to allow her to obtain his blood through other means. "If you cannot stand by your convictions, Police Girl, then you won't drink." He'd growled, letting the man free to live another day.

"I didn't want to kill him." She'd protested, feeling sick at heart from disappointing her Sire again.

"You're a vampire, it's what we do. Survival of the fittest, Police Girl, where the strong trample upon the weak _because they can_. You'll have to learn to accept that feeding yourself means taking the lives of others, this is one thing that cannot change."

"But the medical bl-" "Was arranged by Hellsing. Where we are going the old laws still rule, and the closest you'll come to what the humans provided is bloodwine. So long as you remain my fledgling you will follow my rules, Police Girl."

"Well maybe I don't want to _be_ your fledgling anymore." She'd muttered to herself but he'd heard her of course and she'd flinched when she saw his hand raise. His black laughter sent chills down her spine. "Perhaps not, my little Draculina. But I will not unleash you upon the world as you are, you would not survive a day. Remember that it was your choice, Police Girl." His last words were taunting her, and she dearly wanted her gun to blast him in the face like she'd seen Sir Integra do when he'd antagonized her, or even to try that trick with his own guns, but she knew she'd never be fast enough to pull it off.

So lost in her memories of that night was she that the feeling of his fingers under her chin made her jump, and her back scraped against the rough bark of the tree. He tilted her head up to face him and she saw so many different emotions in those crimson orbs she was close to drowning in them. "Will it get easier?" She whispered, knowing he knew she meant the life of eternity unless killed, drinking blood, amd walking in shadows.

"You're the one making it hard, Police Girl." He answered calmly, releasing her and turning to walk at a sedate human pace towards where she felt the moon's light even through the trees.

The blonde sighed, feeling far older than her nineteen years as she pushed off the tree to follow her Master when she saw a flicker of something out of the corner of her eye. She turned just in time to raise her right arm instinctively, an enormous slathering black wolf with glowing red eyes lunged for her throat and bit savagely into the tender flesh of her forearm. She screamed, and the impact of the heavy body shoved her to the ground beneath those massive paws. Rolling desperately, the relentless pressure of those powerful jaws took the creature with her as she tried to maneuver herself away from those deadly claws swinging for her unprotected belly. She kicked and heard something snap, and a second swing of her bloodied leg pushed against the wolf's ribs at enough of an angle that the teeth were ripped back through her skin in a shower of blood. The wolf hit the tree she'd been resting against with a yelp and Seras scrambled to her feet with her mangled arm held protectively to her chest. Surely the thing was dead, right? Panting and dripping blood, she swayed on her feet dizzily as she glanced over her shoulder for her Master. That was her mistake; the instant she looked away the wolf lunged again and pinned her to the dirt with its bloody fangs poised over her throat.

The familiar click of a pistol was like music to her ears, and the resounding _boom_ of the oversized and overpowered weapon being fired told her all would be well. Blood splattered on her face as the bullet pierced the wolf's right foreleg, another one following to take out the hind sending it off balance and away from the fledgling. Seras looked up to see an upside down version of Alucard with a sick grin on his face as he levered the Cassul at the crippled beast's head. She saw his finger beginning to squeeze for the final shot when a white blur launched itself from the trees and slammed into the red coated male, throwing him to the dirt, and sending the blessed silver bullet wild; embedded in a tree rather than the red eyed wolf's brain.

"Master!" Seras exclaimed, staggering back to her feet in the blood soaked mud, eyes widening in shock as her dazed brain finally understood what the creature attacking her creator was. "My God…" She breathed, staring at the white dire wolf situated on Alucard's chest with his arm captured in those sabre toothed jaws.

Alucard laughed, and rather than drawing the Jackal as she expected – she'd been surprised when Walter had given it to him for seemingly no other reason than since she got a new toy, so to speak, her Sire did as well – he did the same trick Seras had used on the black wolf by rolling and taking his attacker with him, slamming it into the ground and ripping his arm free in a splatter of blood.

"I could use a warm up fight. Come on, hit me with your best shot!" He taunted, opening his arms wide for the giant wolf's next attack.

Seras noticed then as the great beast got back to its feet that it was taller than her Master, she guestimated something like eight feet.

The dire wolf apparently understood Alucard as it took half a step back and then lowered its head to bare bloody over-long teeth at him. It's legs tensed and she watched in horror as it leapt in the air with those enormous front claws raised to strike and mouth open.

Perhaps her Master's greatest - weakness seemed the wrong word, fallacy, Achilles heel even? Whatever the case, he tended to just stand still and let his enemies rip him to pieces, literally, only to regenerate at the last second when they think they've won to demoralize them and take them out with a single shot. She'd seen it over and over, and the first time, in Cheddar, she was thoroughly disturbed by it. For the first time, however, she saw him actually move away from an incoming attack to punch the wolf in the jaw, even as the massive claws on its boulder sized feet sliced up his chest in a spray of blood. The instant the giant canine landed on its feet, faster than she thought possible it was back in the air, aiming for Alucard's back.

Despite all the assurances of his invulnerability, the massive scope of his regenerative abilities, she still feared for his safety. "Master!" She shouted, stumbling a half step towards the skirmish. The world spun sickeningly and her legs crumpled out from under her as the blood loss combined with her nonexstant eating habits led to her body shutting down on her. The ground flew up to meet her and her last thought whispered pitifully in the yawning emptiness swallowing her consciousness whole; _don't leave me._

* * *

She felt as though she were floating, and the world swayed rhythmically from side to side. Warmth suffused her right side and she felt very secure in this pleasant hazy world. After a moment her ears allowed sound to trickle through to her half conscious brain in the form of muffled voices. This… was very familiar.

"…logize, Drake, Cera has boundary issues. She was abandoned in my woods to die of exposure, and I've been looking after her since."

"The fact remains that she attacked my fledgling. You must teach her to recognize power, Darkconda, and know when to back down." The answering words rumbled like thunder in her ears and she scrunched up her face in distaste. Shaking her head mildly, she cracked an eye open to stare at the underside of her Sire's jaw. Oh, he was carrying her again. But who… Craning her head back against the support of Alucard's bicep, she caught sight of a tanned male with mussed black hair and a trim beard carrying an unconscious brunette female with what looked suspiciously like bullet holes in her right arm and leg. The breeze changed and brought the scents of the pair to the dazed fledgling, and she blinked in rapid succession as she realized she recognized them as the wolves that had attacked them… And now the male – Darkconda – was chatting it up with her Sire as though they were friends.

"I wouldn't go that far, Police Girl, but we are not enemies." Alucard murmured in answer to her thoughts and she turned her gaze back to his face curiously. She still felt incredibly tired, and her arm still throbbed painfully. When she glanced down at herself she grimaced; she was covered in dried blood and the pretty outfit that complimented her Master's was ruined. Her eyes widened as a thought struck her and she hurriedly lifted her uninjured arm to carefully run her fingers along the ribbon necklace, thankfully finding it intact and free of any crunchy spots denoting spatters of dry gore. Relief and fatigue tugged at her senses and she yawned, head bobbing in time with her Sire's footsteps. He chuckled and shifted his grip to settle her more deeply into the cradle of his arms, "Go back to sleep, fledgling, I'll wake you when we get there."

She nodded sleepily, too drowsy to argue, and half turned to rest her cheek against his chest once more, noting distantly that there wasn't a single drop of blood on him, though she saw him get torn up earlier. Must… be… a neat… trick…

* * *

"Seras, wake up. We're home."

She stirred and squinched her eyes shut tighter, voicing a half moan of protest. "Come now, Police Girl, wake up. Wake u-"

* * *

Something cool and round touched her lips, and the smell of blood mixed with the tang of something vaguely alcoholic filtered into her nose. Instinctively she parted her lips and allowed the viscous liquid to be poured into her mouth, swallowing when she felt as though it might overflow. Clarity began to return to her thoughts upon the third swallow and she cracked her eyes open to see a wine glass held by a masculine hand, still half full of a deep red liquid.

"It's not as potent as blood fresh from the vein, but it will do for now, Police Girl." The familiar rumble of her Master's voice caressed her ears as he tipped another mouthful down her throat. When the cup was empty she felt better, albeit a bit fuzzy around the edges from the alcohol. A flush crept up her cheeks when she realized she was situated upon his lap, and wondered what it was about her being unconscious that made him want to treat her like a lapdog. He grinned at her in a show of fang and the flush brightened, and she turned her gaze away from him to take in her surroundings; it looked like a grand foyer in an old but well maintained castle, the massive stone blocks fitted neatly together, showing very little wear from the sands of time. A long gold edged maroon carpet split the room in half, leading up to the dais she and her Master occupied, matched by a grand looking banner bearing an unfamiliar coat of arms. She noticed that the only windows were high up in the wall, no direct sunlight could touch the inhabitants of this hall. "Where are we?"

"Home, Police Girl. My home that is. Welcome to Castle Draculae. We'll be staying here for a time." He murmured in her ear and she shifted uncomfortably at the continued close contact. An evil gleam lit his copper gaze and his lips twisted in a cruel mockery of a smile as the arm behind her back abruptly vanished and she overbalanced with a shriek, tumbling top over tea kettle down the short series of steps to sprawl gracelessly across the carpeted stone floor. "Owww…"

His mocking laughter echoed through the cavernous hall and she glared up at him sullenly before rolling to her feet – with only the slightest of stumbles – to start stalking away from him, muttering obscenities under her breath.

"Where are you going, Police Girl?" He called after her, sounding terribly amused.

"Away from you, Sir." She answered, adding a thick edge of sarcasm to the last word.

She could _hear_ the smirk in his voice at his parting shot; "Take a right and go down the steps." He'd just answered her unasked question of how the hell to get out of the castle. Ugh! Grudgingly following his directions she made her way to a lesser used exit – no where near as grand as the main door, but that suited her just fine – and quietly admired the mountain scenery surrounding the grand looking castle. With a sigh, she wandered over to the edge of the flattened plain and looked down, jerking back in surprise when she saw the yawning gap of a drop below to a grassy field. Shivering in distaste – she was never very fond of heights – she backed up and bumped into something. Something that wasn't the castle wall, and didn't feel like her Master.

Jerking around in surprise she stared up into the grinning face of a caramel skinned man with a mustache wearing a brown business suit. His grin widened and she caught the gleam of light off his fangs as he reached for his hat and performed a half bow, revealing his close cropped black hair, "Beunas noches, senorita, my name is Tubalcain Alhambra, and I have some business with your Master. Be a good girl and fetch him for me, would you?"

Seras felt the small hairs on the back of her neck prickle in alarm as the breeze shifted and she caught the man's scent. It was… somehow foul, tainted, it reminded her of… Eyes widening in realization, she leaped back as he settled the fedora back atop his head and pulled a card from his sleeve. Staring at him warily, his expression twisted into something cruel and his wrist flicked in her direction; the card shooting at her and as she jumped instinctively it sliced into the side of her ankle. Crying out in surprise, Seras stumbled and nearly fell, fingers and toes digging into the grass to keep herself upright. Lunging for the door she'd exited from, another card whizzed by her face and cut her cheek, telling her quite clearly that he was simply playing with her. "Master!" She yelped as she scrambled through the door, another card embedded in the stone opposite her. Leaning on the paltry barrier, she felt the world begin to spin sickeningly again as the wine muddled her senses and blood trickled down her cheek and foot.

Quite suddenly he was _there_ , a strange look on his face as he loomed over her like a great black shadow. She blinked and reached for him, unable to fully focus on his face as he pulled her securely to his chest and patted her head gently. After a moment of this he settled her back against the wood and phased through the door with a ripple of his powers. Turning her head to press her ear to the barrier, she listened.

"It's not polite to touch others possessions." The welcome baritone of Alucard's voice carried easily through the air.

"Ah, but I thought perhaps it would spur our meeting, Senor Alucard. I've been waiting so very long for your return, I thought you would have been here days ago." The thick Spanish accent made some of the words hard to make out, but Seras persevered, intent on not being left out of the loop.

"I see." Her Sire's voice dripped coldness, and she shivered though it was not directed at her.

"No, I don't think you do, Senor Alucard. You see, I've been given the task of taking you in. Well, at least a sample of you anyways." She heard amusement oozing through his words and a strange whistling woosh before multiple cards sliced through the door where her Master had been standing. Seras squeaked and peeked cautiously through the impromptu window slits to see her Master sneering at the suited man,

Alucard rushed towards Alhambra, and Seras was surprised to see him matching her Sire's pace, keeping just out of reach of his fearsome strength. Just as Alhambra drew a new pair of cards from his sleeve her Master pulled the Cassul from his jacket and fired at him. Blood blossomed for an instant before he vanished in a swirl of purple cards.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Senor Alucard, as I told your pretty little fledgling, my name is Tubalcain Alhambra, though some people have taken to calling me the Dandy Man. And now I'm afraid I have to say goodbye, for you have activated my trap card." He laughed as an explosion went off beneath her Master's feet, sending the startled vampire to the ground where two rings of cards encircled him and exploded.

"Master!" Seras shrieked, pushing the door partway open to stumble out towards the injured man.

"Stay where you are, Seras!" Alucard snarled at her as he got to his hands and knees, blood positively pouring from his chest. The blonde flinched and reeled backwards as she saw movement coming towards her. She landed gracelessly on her bum with a razor edged card protruding from the wall where her head had been moments prior.

"You heard your master, senorita, stay out of it like a good little girl." The Dandy Man taunted, and she glared at his back, curling her lip back from her blood teeth in a show of anger. If she didn't feel like she was about to throw up any second, she'd show that…

Still bleeding, her Master got to his feet and grinned so viciously that Seras inched back towards the tentative safety of the castle. She recognized that look. As if on cue with her thoughts, shadows massed around her Master's feet and spread outward, gaining mass and thickening into three demonic hounds with too many red eyes. She shuddered and looked away, scrabbling backwards to shut herself back behind the door and watch from the peep hole slits rather than out in the open.

The Dandy Man looked vaguely surprised, but he kept his cool and flung the cards at the demonic beasts, the pieces of magic waxed paper exploding on contact. Bloody mist filled the air like thick soup and Seras saw looming shadows in the red fog aiming for the intruder. He did as well for he lashed out blindly, meeting nothing but air. She heard panting and snarling and watched the shadows dance through the unnatural cloud before she heard a blood curdling scream and a series of sickening crunches she recognized as breaking bone. Wincing in partial sympathy, she squinted as the wind finally shifted and blew the mist away to reveal her Master dressed in a skin tight black body suit with buckles lining his arms, legs, and chest holding the Dandy Man by the face. "Dandy Man?" He purred, and the other whimpered, "You lost. And now I'm going to read your mind, by drinking all of your blood." He mocked, opening his mouth wide to reveal every tooth sharp and ready to puncture helpless flesh. Sickeningly, the thought of _'om nom nom'_ raced through her head as she watched him tear into the one armed man's throat in a spray of blood. Moments later, blue flames erupted from the vampire's body and engulfed her Sire. "Master!" She called again, horrified by the sight.

He began to laugh and clap his hands together as the flames dissipated and the ash floated away across the mountains. "So I see I was right. It won't be long now, Major."

"Master..?" She questioned, wondering who he was talking to.

"It's nothing, Police Girl, I will tell you when you are stronger. Come, we should hunt." He commanded, glancing down at himself with an odd, almost nostalgic look on his face before the leather outfit rippled and stretched, seeming to absorb the spilt blood upon the grass to resume its state as her Master's favored red trench coat and charcoal suit.

Hunger for blood, hot and fresh that would fill the ache in her undead soul tugged at her, and she looked away. She didn't want to kill anybody, but it was becoming increasingly clear that it was kill or be killed in tis new world her Master had dragged her into now that they were 'free' of Hellsing's clutches. A longing pang for the men she'd grown friendly with, the very men that had become ghouls on her last night at the compound, stabbed her still heart. How could she ever take revenge for them if she died in the mountains or went mad?

Seras Victoria did not want to die. She had proven that in Cheddar, and now she had to take responsibility for that choice.

"Yes, Master."


End file.
